Haha-two chapter in one weekend! Thanks for the reviews that the last chapter really didn't deserve! I must warn you that you are going to hate me immensly after reading this chapter...there is a "bit" of a cliffhanger! Please read and review!
Clove's POV
Cato stares at me in silence while I cook our meat. Judging by the concern in his eyes, I can tell he has an idea of my plan. I've thought about what I'm going to do a lot, and I think it's for the best.
Once it's just Cato and I left, I will kill myself quickly when he isn't looking. Before it comes to that though, I am going to make him as happy as possible. I love him so much. But I can't live the rest of my life knowing that I am responsible for so many innocent deaths. I can't be reminded of that every year when I have to send another girl into the arena and watch her be slaughtered. My only hope is that Cato can understand what I'm going to do and the reason behind it.
"I think this is done," I say, taking the squirrel off the fire and putting it in the bag with the rest of the cooked food. Silent as stone with an expression to match, Cato stands and stomps out the weak fire. I stand up and walk up to him to where our chests touch. He looks down at me with worry written all over his face, every line and freckle I've looked at and adored so many times. Standing on my toes, I give him a peck on the lips and begin to walk into the woods.
"Where are you going?" Cato calls at me. I turn around and give him a smile.
"There's only four left. Only one couple can win. I bet the Capitol is in a hurry to end it, might as well not give them any reason to sic any mutts on us." I turn back around and begin to walk deeper into the foliage near the river, I have a feeling Katniss and Peeta might be there. Not a few seconds later, Cato's calloused hands land on my shoulders and turn me to face him. He enfolds me in a giant hug, cradling me to his chest, his hand stroking my matted hair.
"Clove, I love you," he whispers. "Please don't ever forget that. Please remember that I'll do anything to make you happy. Whatever it takes." Tears are threatening in his voice and I guilt overtakes me at what I know my suicide will do to him.
"I love you too, Cato," is all I reply simply. I remain in his arms, rocking back in forth for a long while. The thoughts of what Cato and I could have after the Games race through my head. Children, a nice home, a family...but all while never forgiving myself of the murders I've committed. I pull away from him and look up into his beautiful eyes. "We better get going before evening comes."
Cato and I walk side by side, hand in hand, searching for signs of Katniss and Peeta. Something catches in my ear, a loud crack of a branch that makes me jump. We are right along the bank of the river, flooded from the rain. I pull Cato along and crouch behind a boulder. He looks at me, eyes grim with the creeping of Confident Academy Cato. I pull him into a short yet passionate kiss, giving him all the love I can before we find out if the sound was our last two competitors. He smiles a little, the pulls out his sword and peeks behind the boulder. I poke my head out the other side and am almost relieved at what I see: Katniss and Peeta walking barefoot in the river together.
Katniss has her bow loaded, but laughs freely with Peeta. Lover Boy holds a knife but his heavy gait is slow with a limp. I look at Cato and nod. This is it. We end this now.
I take one of my last two knives and aim carefully at Katniss' chest. A gust of wind blows just I release the weapon, making it land in her wrist instead. She cries out in pain and shock, dropping her bow and watching it flow away with the river's current. Cato has run out from our hiding place, heading towards Peeta.
"Get Katniss first!" I yell to him. Even injured, she still has a sheath of arrows and a deadly confidence. Cato runs to her and grunts as she jabs and arrow into his upper arm. Their blood rushes together down into the water. Peeta stands trying to rip Cato off Katniss, raising his knife to my husband's back. I tackle him to the ground, forcing the knife away. I see that Cato has subdued Katniss and holds her tightly in a headlock. The bloodlust I've grown so accustomed to works its way through me, along with the desire to give the audience at home a good show. My thoughts are interrupted by Peeta's strong arms throwing me off of him. I stand quickly at pull out my knife and toss it aimlessly at his approaching figure. It finds its mark right in his stomach, and he falls to the ground.
"Peeta!" Katniss screeches, trying to pull away from Cato. His sword has been knocked out of his hands and he holds her back in the headlock, still though not cutting off her air supply. I see the gleam in his eyes and know that like me, the Academy training has kicked in and he wants a good show. Not being myself, I brutally tug Peeta up into a sitting position, making him cry out as a gush of fresh blood rushes from his stomach.
"Watch, Lover Boy. Watch Cato kill Katniss and know there is nothing you can do to save her," I seethe quietly into his ear.
"No," he moans painfully, his eyes locked on Katniss. She stands in Cato's grip, sobbing uncontrollably. "Don't."
"Cato, care to do the honors?" I ask. Cato gives that devilish grin and grip Katniss harder. "You decide Lover Boy. Do you want her death slow, or painfully slow?" Peeta just moans as silent tears fall freely from his eyes.
"You monsters," he groans. "You're worse than the Capitol." Anger fills me at his words. Because I know he is right. I know we are just as bad as President Snow and Seneca Crane. But hearing him say this makes me want to take out all my anger on him and his love.
"Drown her, Cato," I order. Cato kneels down and tugs Katniss down with him.
"Any last words, Katniss?" Cato questions. She looks up with pleading eyes and a look of defeat on her normally strong face.
"I love you, Peeta," is all she can manage through her sobs. "I'm sorry Prim...so sor-" her sentence is cut off by Cato shoving her head under the rushing water. Her arms and legs flail, but Cato holds firm. Peeta tries to rise suddenly, falling back down with pitiful sobs racking his body. After a few seconds, the kicking stops and Cato lets her lifeless body fall into the current with her face still in the water. A cannon booms. Peeta lies on his back, eyes squeezed shut and mumbling Katniss' name.
"You're turn, Peeta," I whisper. I raise my last knife up and am about to bring it down, when Cato's hands stops me. I look at him and see his viciousness gone, replaced by an almost tender look. He kneels down next to Peeta on the opposite side of me.
"I understand, Peeta. I know you loved her. And I'm sorry, truly sorry," he says strongly. Peeta stares up at him.
Through convulsions of pain, he asks in reply, "That night-when, when you asked me what Katniss' skill was and I didn't answer-you knew didn't you?" Cato nods his head. Before Peeta can say anything else though, his head falls back and his ashy hair covers his still open eyes, the blue staring off into space. His cannon sounds. Cato looks up at me with tears falling from his eyes,
"We did it, Clove," he says. I look at my knife protruding from Peeta's stomach. Another murder. My own words bounce back in my head, Drown her, Cato..
I really am the monster Peeta said I was.
Cato's POV
My apology to Peeta makes me feel less like a murderer. Guilt still rushes through me, but I know he understood that I know how much he loved Katniss. Clove stares down at her knife in Peeta's abdomen. I take her hands in mine.
"We're going home, Clove," I laugh. We stand and I hug her. As we rock back and forth, Claudius Templesmith's voice comes across with what I assume is our victory announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, due to a close examination of the rules, the previous rule change allowing for two victors from the same district has been revoked. Only one Victor shall be crowned. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in you favor."
Dread courses through me. Only one of us can win. They've had this planned since they made the announcement. They knew it would come down to a couple in love and they just wanted a show. I pull away from Clove, she has started trembling.
"Clove, you need to win. I have nothing for me back home without you," I state. Her eyes are stony.
"It's not like I have anything to go back to either, Cato. I can't live with myself. You're going to win," she declares. Smoothly, she bends down at pulls the knife from Peeta's body. I grab her wrist.
"Please don't," I whisper. Her eyes focus on the knife. She tears her wrist from my grasp and the weapon into her stomach in the blink of an eye. Clove stumbles back, mouth agape, then falls onto her back with a thud.
"Clove!" I cry, kneeling beside her. She looks up at me with a distant gaze.
"Remember when you said you'd do anything to make me happy? Let me die, Cato. It's what I wan-" she is cut off by a sharp gasp escaping her. She has to win. Tears fall from my eyes and I look around wildly, trying to find anything to kill myself with so that the Capitol doctors will save her. My gaze lands on the knife that Clove wrestled out of Peeta's hands. Ignoring Clove's pleas to stop, I stand and grab the weapon. Pain takes my breath away as I plunge the blade into my chest. Black takes my vision as I fall to the ground.
I must say that this was very hard for me to write. Peeta is my favorite character/person/guy/crush/everything in the whole wide world. I cried even just thinking about killing him. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, please tell me if you did! And I am officially announcing that there will be a sequel! I won't tease you with any details, but I hope you all will read it:) Please let me know what you thought about this chapter!